Crate-making machine.



M. S. BENNETT.

can MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1914.

1,1 1 1,943. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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M. S. BENNETT.

CRATE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1914.

1,1 1 1,943, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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M. S. BENNETT.

CRATE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1914.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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CRATE-MAKING mncrrmn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed June 8, 191%. Serial No. 843,830.

To all cvhom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, MARTIN S. BpnNE'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Ottawa and State of Kansas, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Crate-\[aking Machines; and I do declare the follow ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in crate making machines and more particularly to those having a number of fixed and movable clamp members for rigidly securing the transverse end walls and partition of a crate while fastening the longitudinal slats thereto.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide extremely simple and efficient means for simultaneously shifting the movable clamping members and retaining them in adjusted position.

A secondary object of the invention is to simplify the general construction of devices of this character.

With these and minor objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and combination herein described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my inven tion, the movable clamp members being retracted; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a pair of transverse end walls and a partition clamped in position; Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the entire device, the tilting frame being lowered; Fig. 4: is a similar view with the frame raised; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the movable clamp operating mechanism in inoperative position; Fig. 8 is a smiliar view in operative position; Fig. 9 is an edge view of these parts in the positionshown in Fig. 7, and Fig. 10 is a detail side elevation showing a slightly modified form of construction.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have shown the device as comprising a rigid table 1 which is supported by suitably braced inverted U-shaped legs 2 which are disposed near its opposite ends and at its center. Rising from the opposite end portions of the table 1, is a pair of guide sleeves 3 which may be secured thereto in any suitable manner, said sleeves receiving upright operating rods & whose lower ends arepivotally connected to the outer slotted ends 5 of levers6 pivotally supported by suitable arms 7 depending therefrom, the inner ends of said levers being connected to downwardly converging links 8 whose meeting ends are pivotally connected at 9 to a foot lever 10 which is pivoted to the central supporting leg and which is preferably guided in its movement by an upright rod 11 having its opposite ends turned laterally and connected to said central leg member. It is to be noted that, with the exception of the sleeves 8, all fastening means lie flush with the top of the table 1, this provision being made for a purpose to become apparent.

Asclearly seen in the drawings, the upper ends of. the rods 4 are formed into eyes or bearings 12 which receive pivoted bolts 13, the latter being carried by arch shaped supporting members 14 whose ends are rigidly secured to longitudinal side bars 15 of a tilting frame which normally rests upon the top of the table 1. The longitudinal side bars 15 are connected at suitable intervals, by transverse bars 16 whose opposite ends are rigidly secured thereto, said transverse bars carrying suitable guides 17 on their lower sides in which a longitudinal clamp operating bar 18 is slidably mounted, said bar carrying a number of L-shaped supporting brackets 19 whose horizontal arms 20 are slotted for the reception of bolts 21 by means of which said brackets are adjustably secured to said bar 18.

Each bracket 19 carries a pronged clamping plate 22 from which upper and lower studs 23 project through suitable openings in the upright arms of said brackets and receive nuts 24, springs 25 being interposed be tween said clamping plates and the upright arms of said brackets 19. The clamping plates 22 coact with inverted U-shaped clamping frames 26 whose lower ends are formed into attaching feet 27 rigidly secured to the longitudinal bars 15. The frames 26 are preferably pronged for coaction on the clamping plates 23 for the purpose of securely holding the end walls E and the partition P of the crate, against shifting.

As most clearly seen in Figs. 5, 7 8 and 9, one end of the clamp operating bar terminates a suitable distance from a transverse bar 28 located at one end of the tilting frame, said bar being provided for the purpose of rigidly supporting an upright pivot pin or bolt 29 which rises therefrom and projects through an opening formed intermediate the ends of the lever 30 above which one arm 31 of a bell crank is spaced by means of a spacing sleeve 32 which is interposed between one end of said lever 30 and the end of the arm 31, a bolt 33 passing through said sleeve and through the adjacent ends of the lever 30 and arm 31. It will be noted that the arm 31 is provided with an opening through which the pivot bolt 29 passes, a nut 34: being threaded upon the upper end of said bolt thus preventing the lever and the bell crank from being removed. The re-' mainingarm 35 of the bell crank terminates in an upright operating handle 86 which rises therefrom to a suitable height, and by means of which the lever 30 may be turned around its pivot for a purpose to appear.

Pivoted at its opposite ends to the free end of the lever 80 and to the adjacent end of the operating bar 18, is a connecting link 37, one end of which is preferably offset as indicated at 37, said link being provided with a notch 38 adapted to receive the pivot bolt or pin 29 and a notch 39 adapted to receive the sleeve 32, when the bell crank is rotated in the proper direction for moving said bar 18 to clamp the members E and P in position. By this positioning and arrangement of parts, it will be seen that the offset end 37 of the link 37, is allowed to swing to or past dead center in whichposition the parts assume the relation shown in Fig. 8 thus securely locking the bar 18 against movement.

With the end walls and partitions E and P supported as shown in Fig. 2, the slats S constituting the bottom of the crate, may be nailed thereto as clearly seen in Fig. 3 after which the foot lever 10 may be depressed thus raising the entire tilting frame above the table 1 and allowing the same to be turned a quarter of a revolution in either direction after which the same is again lowered and the longitudinal side slats may be nailed thereon. During these operations, it will be seen that either the frame or the ends of the transverse members E and P, contact with the smooth upper surface of the table 1 thereby rigidly supporting said members. 7

When the crate is completed, the bell crank may be turned around the pivot pin 29, by means of the handle 36 which retracts the clamping plates 22 and allows the finished crate to be removed. It is to be noted that said clamping plates 22 are allowed to yield toward the supporting brackets 19 by the provision of the coil springs 25, thus compensating for various thieknesses of material.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that l have produced an extremely simple device of the character described yet one which will be extremely ellicient in operation.

in Fig. 10, I have shown a side elevation of a portion of the tilting frame and one of the fixed and movable clamping members. In this figure, the clamping frames 26 are adjustably secured to the longitudinal. side bars 15 of the tilting frame by bolts 26 which pass through. slots 15 in said side bars. By this construction, a greater amount of adjustment is allowed thus allowing the device to be employed for manufacturing crates of different lengths.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lctters Patent is 1. In acrate making machine, the combination with a number of upright clamping frames, an operating bar slidably mounted beneath the same, and upright clamping members on said bar, of a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to a relatively fixed support, a link pivoted to one end thereof, and a pivotal connection between said link and said operating bar, said link having a notch adapted to receive the pivot of the lever when the latter is operated.

2. In a crate making machine, the combination with a number of upright clamping frames, an operating bar slidable beneath the same and upright clamping members carried by said bar, of an upright pivot pin rising from a relatively fixed support spaced from one end of said bar, a bell crank having an opening near its angle receiving said pin, an operating handle formed on one end of said bell crank, a lever spaced from the other arm of said bell crank and having an opening intermediate its ends receiving said pivot pin, an upright spacing member between the adjacent ends of said last mentioned arm and said lever, and a link pivoted. to the opposite end of said lever and to the adjacent end of said operating bar, said link having a pair of notches in one edge adapted to receive said pivot pin and said spacing members when the bell crank is turned around. its pivot to shift said movable clamping members toward the fixed mom bers.

3. In a crate making machine, the combination with a rectangular frame having a number of upright clamping members secured thereto, an operating bar slidable be: neath the same, a number of movable clamping members carried by said bar and a transverse end bar secured to said frame adjacent one end of the operating bar, of

an upright pivot pin rising from said trans verse bar, a lever pivoted between its ends on said pin, a spacing member rising from one end of said lever, a bell crank pivoted on said pin and attached to said spacing member at one end, a handle rising from the other end of said bell crank, and a link pivoted at 1ts ends to the IGIDELlIllIlg end of said lever and sa1d operating bar, said 10 link having a pair of notches in one edge,

for the reception of said pivot pin and spacing member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MARTIN S. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. PIERCE, ED. A. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0. 

